86 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



birds as a beautiful adaptation for climbing ; but 

 as nutbatches climb better than Woodpeckers with, 

 toes of the ordinary three-to-one arrangement, and 

 as barbets don't climb at all, but just hop, that 

 theory is insufficient. 



One very puzzling point about the Coppersmith 

 is his whiskers. His stout black bill is garnished 

 with a sort of straggly moustache of the " cricketer " 

 type — eleven a side — which does not appear to be 

 either ornamental or useful. Both sexes have it, 

 the female Coppersmith being in all respects like her 

 mate, and, it is common to many other barbets, but 

 not to all ; though such whiskers crop up again in 

 other birds of quite different families. These are 

 generally insect-eaters, but some barbets which do 

 eat insects are clean-shaven ones, so no connection 

 with that habit will account for Alexander's hirsute- 

 ness. In fact the use of the "rictal bristles," as 

 ornithologists call such appendages, is one of the 

 puzzles presented by birds which have not as yet 

 been solved. Young barbets, like young woodpeckers, 

 do not move about on their toes, but on their heels, 

 and they have a similar hard heel-pad to protect 

 the joint and give them a grip ; when they are fledged 

 and hop about it gradually disappears. Another 

 curious trick of Alexander's family is their ingenious 

 custom of turning their tails over their backs, beneath 



